


I Know You Care

by LyricalWandering



Category: Creepypasta - Fandom, Petscop (Web Series)
Genre: Belle remembers some things about his past that he doesn't yet, Freeform, Gen, Identity Issues, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Marvin Mark (mentioned) - Freeform, Mike Hammond (mentioned), Paul Leskowitz is Carrie Mark, Paul is starting to suspect something is seriously off about this game, Petscop - Freeform, Petscop One Shots, Rainer (mentioned) - Freeform, Repressed Memories, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Worth Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:14:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28915932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyricalWandering/pseuds/LyricalWandering
Summary: Paul isn't who you think he is.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 9





	I Know You Care

Bleary eyes begin to fall shut as Paul turns off his PlayStation for the night.

"TURN OFF PLAYSTATION"

The response from Tool he'd gotten literally months ago flashes in the back of his mind for some reason.

"At least that kid will be safe from Marvin for a little while now..." he says to himself. 

Laughing without thinking, before considering the weight of what he'd just said. There was a heaviness unlike anything else he could explain there in that thought. He'd meant it as a joke...but as the months of discovery had dragged on, Paul had begun to suspect with a dark, dreadful feeling that Marvin and Mike weren't just fictional sprites in an old PS1 game he'd found in his garage.

His theory lately, as he'd discussed in rigorous detail with Belle over the phone just last night, was that this "Rainer" had wanted *him* to find this game, too. A series of misfortunate events had lead him to inherit Petscop as a family heirloom. And now, by some impossible fate, his family's secrets were being laid bare before him. Each new advancement in-game lead Paul to ask more and more complicated questions. Both of Petscop and of himself.

The only problem was, he wasn't sure if either of them had any of the answers.

He knew someone who certainly sounded like she did, though. Paul considers his next move for a moment, then makes a commitment. He stands from his chair to make his way to the shower and prepare for bed, peeling off his clothes and stepping under piping hot water a few minutes later like it would help to wake him up.

But why would he want to be *awake* when he was getting ready to go to sleep? Usually he showered in the morning to get ready for school. Huh. Why did he even go to school? Stupid idiot. His hands hidden in pockets and over sized sweaters.

Why did the water burn his arms? Scratches up and down his tender skin in long, jagged patterns...Tool. Tool. Tool.

It came to him like a pounding memory, the object's name. His voice started shaking and he noticed he was repeating something aloud, over and over. "Nobody, nobody...w-what the fuck?"

Paul hisses and cries out in pain as the water temperature suddenly feels unbearable. He jumps back from the stream to adjust the dial, only to find that it's lukewarm at best. Curious, he fiddles with the knob for a moment, half expecting it to start speaking to him in mysterious text like Tool had in the game. Tool. Tool. Tool. The water feels normal again and there are no scratches on his arms, no ache between his eyes.

Swallowing hard, Paul grits his teeth and finishes washing before stepping out to towel off. This fucking game. He'll be damned if it makes him go crazy.

"I need some sleep, probably. And a warm cup of tea." He mumbles orders for himself under his breath, emerging from his room, now pajama clad, to go and make just that. His black cat Boo awakens from his contented slumber on the sofa to follow him to the kitchen. Paul makes his favorite mint tea and retreats back to his room, Boo close on his heels.

For whatever reason, when he gets there, he shuts his door and locks it, shivering. He lives alone right now (besides counting Boo the cat) and doesn't have anything to worry about as far as predators go. This is a safe neighborhood. But he still locks his door. The window is shut and locked, too. Safer that way. He climbs into bed with his purring cat and calls Belle.

The screen of his phone presses hard against his ear and she picks up mid third ring.

"Hey. Find anything weird tonight?" She quips with a small laugh, and Paul smiles, already feeling more at ease just at the sound of her voice.

"You don't know the half of it." He croaks, scratching Boo absent-mindedly behind the ears.

"Yeah, but I know you." She answers, sounding like she wanted to say more. Paul waits for her to continue, but she doesn't.

"You know I what?" He asks slowly.

He can hear her shift around in her seat for a minute, maybe switching the hand she was holding the phone with. 

"What? Oh. I know you. Care. Ah, about all this. About finding the answers."

Paul blinks once, the thought of dozing off while staying on the line with his best friend feeling like what he might need tonight.

"Well...yeah. I do care." He sighs into the line, shutting his eyes.

Behind his closed lids he can see the bathroom tomb he'd just discovered that night, wondering briefly why his actions in that room affected how he could view "the discovery pages" in another one of the game's many timelines. A phantom pain ran down the side of his face. He clutched the phone tighter.

"I mean, I, I don't know why. What this all means yet. B-but I care."

"...Yeah."

**Author's Note:**

> Jumping back into the world of Petscop! Re-watching the series for what will be the first time this year has inspired me to post more of what I have written for this masterpiece of a creepy pasta. At the start of quarantine last year I literally wrote like 20 Petscop related fics so expect to see all those appear here at some point, lol. They can either be read as oneshots or thought of in the same series. Either way, I really hope anyone reading enjoys!


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